Legend Biotech names ex-Novartis exec as CEO
Ingrid Zhang was previously chief commercial officer for Novartis International.
Cell therapy developer Legend Biotech has named Ingrid Zhang as its new chief executive, ending its search for new leadership.
Zhang succeeds Alan Bash, who has served as interim CEO for the New Jersey-headquartered company since July and will now revert to his previous role as president of Legend's Johnson & Johnson-partnered multiple myeloma cell therapy Carvykti (ciltacabtagene autoleucel).
Legend has been without a permanent CEO since July, when Ying Huang, who had held the role for seven years, stepped down to become CEO of K2 Therapeutics, a 'hub-and-spoke' biotech start-up launched by venture capital fund MPM BioImpact.
Carvykti generated around $1.9 billion in sales last year and another $1.25 billion in the first six months of 2026, although increased competition in the multiple myeloma category, particularly from T-cell engager (TCE) products that are easier to make and administer, is clouding its future growth prospects.
Zhang's most recent role was as chief commercial officer for Novartis International, while in previous roles she also led the company's China business and innovative medicines organisation. Her earlier career was spent at AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and McKinsey & Co.
In a statement, Zhang said she intends to "build on [Legend's] strong foundation, advance our pipeline, expand our impact, and execute on our long-term growth strategy."
She joins Legend at a time when the company is focusing on expanding the use of Carvykti into earlier lines of treatment in multiple myeloma, whilst also working on a broad pipeline of autologous, allogeneic, and in vivo cell therapy candidates.
Among its new projects is LB2501, an investigational in vivo CD19/CD20 dual‑targeting CAR-T therapy, which achieved an objective response rate of 100%, including 83.3% complete responses, at higher doses in a recently reported trial involving patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
At this year's ASCO congress, the company also reported first-in-human data from a study of a DLL3-directed CAR-T candidate, LB2102, in refractory small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), headlined by an ORR of 28.6% and a disease control rate of 78.6%.
"Following a comprehensive search process, the board concluded that Ingrid is the right leader to guide Legend Biotech through its next phase of growth," said Frank Zhang, the company's chairman.
"As a highly respected industry executive, Ingrid brings strategic vision, operational discipline, and experience leading complex global businesses," he added.
